Summer starts this week

The official start of summer, marked by the June solstice, may be overshadowed by the presence of wildfire smoke, which could hinder visibility for upcoming astronomy events and potentially affect stargazing throughout the summer. Despite the shortest nights of the year approaching across the United States, there will still be plenty to observe in the night sky, including a planetary duo shining beside the moon.

Astronomical summer will commence on Wednesday with the solstice occurring at 10:57 a.m. EDT, making it the latest start to summer since 2019. This comes three weeks after the beginning of meteorological summer, which started on June 1.

During the June solstice, the sun’s direct rays will focus on the Tropic of Cancer, resulting in the longest day of the year for areas north of the equator. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun will never set on the solstice, providing constant daylight. Following the longest day will be the shortest night of the year, but this brevity should not discourage stargazers. A captivating astronomical event will unfold in the sky, easily visible to the naked eye.

About an hour after sunset on Wednesday evening, the crescent moon, Venus, and Mars will shine together in the western sky. This celestial gathering resembles a similar occurrence in May but with Venus and Mars appearing closer to each other this month. Venus will be the brighter of the two planets, positioned above and to the left of Mars, while the crescent moon will be situated to the right of the planetary duo. Additionally, observers may have the opportunity to witness Earthshine, also known as the Da Vinci glow. This phenomenon occurs when sunlight reflecting off the Earth softly illuminates the Earth-facing side of the moon, creating a captivating sight, particularly with the presence of the nearby planets.

However, the enjoyment of stargazing could be impacted by wildfire smoke. Smoke plumes from Canadian wildfires have already caused hazy conditions and compromised air quality across the contiguous United States. With an unprecedented start to the Canadian wildfire season and the U.S. wildfire season still approaching its predicted peak, it is expected that smoke will frequently fill the sky this summer, more so than in previous years. Even a thin layer of smoke can hinder the visibility of dim stars, constellations, and planets, while denser smoke can completely obscure the night sky, making it nearly impossible to observe events like the gathering of Venus, Mars, and the moon. Additionally, the increase in humidity during the summer months can cause the sky to appear slightly blurry, reducing the twinkle of stars compared to the clear, cold nights of winter.

If wildfire smoke continues to spread throughout the summer, it could potentially obstruct views of significant astronomy events, including the highly anticipated Perseid meteor shower on the night of Saturday, August 12, and the early morning of Sunday, Aug. 13.